Venezuela 2002 is the story of a coup that actually worked for 47 hours, then collapsed like a wet paper bag because the plotters forgot one tiny detail: the guy they arrested was genuinely popular with the poor.
Hugo Chavez got elected in 1998. The Venezuelan elite fucking hated him. The US was not a fan either. The media was against him. In April 2002, the opposition called a general strike. Things got violent. The military announced that Chavez had resigned (he had not, he was arrested and they were lying). A businessman named Pedro Carmona was installed as president.
Carmona immediately dissolved the National Assembly, shredded the constitution, and fired every Chavez-appointed judge in sight. He thought he had it in the bag.
But Chavez’s people (especially in the slums of Caracas) flooded the streets. The military units that had gone along with the coup saw the mobilization and started switching sides faster than you can say “oops.” Within 47 hours, Chavez was back in the palace. Carmona was running for his life.
The lesson: a coup cannot succeed if the people love their leader more than they fear your guns. The Venezuelan poor loved Chavez because he gave them healthcare, education, and a sense of dignity. Carmona offered them nothing but the old corrupt order. They made their choice.
Coming soon: The Color Revolution, How the CIA Does It